Stakeholders root for Abuja CTO’08

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization’s (CTO) Council Meeting and Forum 2008 which holds between 6-10th October 2008, has attracted an array of telecom operators, equipment vendors, telecom industry associations and banks.

CTO Abuja 2008 is organized by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The event slated for Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja is expected to be declared open by President Umar Musa Yar’Adua.

CTO is an international development partnership between Commonwealth and Non-Commonwealth governments as well as civil society organizations, providing the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering unique knowledge sharing programme in the use of use of information and communications technologies in the specific areas of telecommunications, IT, broadcasting and the Internet.

The ICT summit in the West African sub-region in 2008, CTO Abuja 2008 with the theme “Ensuring Effective Connectivity for a Socially Inclusive and a Commercially Vibrant Africa”, is expected to explore Africa as a fertile emerging market for ICT business.

Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, told newsmen in Abuja during a press meeting that visitors and participants would also gain insight into current trends in technological advancements as the global equipment vendors and operators display their latest products and services and called stakeholders to support the event.

“All stakeholders in the Nigerian private sector, particularly the telecommunications and the banking, to participate in this landmark event that promises widespread opportunities for public and private sector collaboration and investment towards transforming ICT on the African continent and Nigeria in particular” he said.

In recognition of the importance of the event, many telecom operators, vendors and banks queuing up to sponsor and exhibit at the event expected to witness attendance from Ministers and top government officials from Commonwealth member nations, policy makers, regulatory authorities, global equipment vendors, service providers, banks, academics and ICT professionals across the world. The hosting of the summit in Nigeria is being put together by an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe.

According to him, a high profile attendance is already in the cards for an event that would also witness exhibition of wide range of products and services alongside the forum.

A list of sponsors and exhibitors released in Abuja at the weekend by the event managers, Strategy and Execution Ltd, indicate that Zain is a Diamond sponsor, while Zenith Bank, Helios Towers, Visafone, MTN and Multilinks are among the Platinum sponsors.

Gold sponsors of the event include Phase3 Telecom, IHS Telecom, Nokia Siemens Networks, Gateway, Nokia, and Harris Stratex while Ericsson and GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) are supporting the event as Silver sponsors.
On the bronze category are Galaxy Backbone, Gilat Satcom, Nigcomsat, Marais Group Motorola, and Growing Business Foundation, GBF, with more than eight other organizations on the supporting list for the international event.


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